Charles J Hughes Ranch Airport

The closure was due to private reasons, not for military, commercial, or safety-mandated purposes. As a private ranch airstrip, its existence was tied to its owner, Charles J. Hughes Jr. The airport was likely abandoned after he was no longer able to fly due to age or health. Its closure is a direct result of it no longer serving its original private purpose.

The site is currently part of the private ranch land it once served. Satellite imagery of the coordinates (31.4188, -101.482002) shows the faint, overgrown, and deteriorated outline of the former runway. The land is completely reclaimed by nature and is unusable as an airfield. The surrounding area remains active with ranching and extensive oil and gas operations, evidenced by numerous well pads and access roads.

The Charles J. Hughes Ranch Airport was a private-use airfield serving the extensive Hughes Ranch in Reagan County. Its significance was purely local, providing air access for the ranch's owner, a known pilot. Operations would have consisted of general aviation activities, likely involving light, single-engine aircraft used for personal transportation, business related to ranching or local oil interests, and recreation. The airfield featured a single unpaved dirt/turf runway (approximately 3,400 feet long, oriented north-south) typical for a private ranch strip in West Texas.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Charles J. Hughes Ranch Airport. As a private field built for a specific individual who is now deceased, there is no public or commercial interest in its restoration. It is considered permanently closed and will likely remain as undeveloped ranch land.